Final answer:
Initially, 96 runners started the race. After 1/4 dropped out in the first half and another 1/6 in the second half, a total of 60 runners finished the race.
Step-by-step explanation:
Initially, there were 96 runners in the race. After the first half, 1/4 dropped out, which means 96 / 4 = 24 runners did not finish. We subtract those 24 from the initial count to find the number of runners left, which gives us 96 - 24 = 72 runners.
During the second half of the race, 1/6 of the remaining runners dropped out. This means that out of the 72 runners left, 72 / 6 = 12 more runners dropped out.
Hence, we subtract these 12 from the remaining 72 to find the number of runners who finished the race: 72 - 12 = 60 runners.
Therefore, a total of 60 runners finished the race.